Think Quarterly: The People Issue

 

I just finished reading the third issue of Google's Think Quarterly magazine, and it's a quick read with some key insights with the promise of more around the corner. 

"The People Issue" focuses on social media, something Google has dived into head-first with Google+. But it's more than a marketing push for G+, and delves into the real power of turning people's intent into tools for change. 

I've made notes to reread more than a few sections, but below are just a few bullet points that caught my eye:

• A surprisingly interesting feature/Q&A with Virgin's Richard Branson. 
• "Recognize and reward quality contributions. Give attention and praise to things that are constructive or interesting. Don't reward negative behavior with attention." So smart, yet how many of us who manage online communities devote 90 percent of our time on the 10 percent intent on causing mayhem?
• Continued excellent visual design. Think Quarterly is an easy read, and superb and invigorating design is a key reason. The creative space that precedes, intercedes and follows the text allows for perspective and time to think. (I'm thinking how I could translate this to longer, thoughtful stories in a daily newspaper). 
• "Hangover" is most commonly Googled on Sundays, one day after "vodka" peaks as a search term. As TQ notes, there's a reason "Searchblog's John Battelle has called Google 'the database of intentions.' "
• Monday is the day people are most likely to click on Google's AdWords, followed by Tuesday and Wednesday, when "online purchases peak." TQ adds, "Offline spending patterns have a greater lag, trailing by one week," evidence that online ads reinforce brick-and-mortar shopping.  
• Fifteen percent of all Google searches worldwide "are ones that Google has never seen before." Awesome. 

The theme of Think Quarterly's next issue is "speed." I can't wait. 

Think Quarterly tackles innovation

Open publication - Free publishing - More google

Google has released its second edition of "Think Quarterly," its digi-zine that's smarter than all of us. This edition's theme is innovation. 

As the intro says:

"In 2003, a total of five exabytes of data existed. Now we generate that every two days. We are, literally, more creative than ever. Where to begin? Right here. We've curated big ideas from heads of industry, leading experts and our homegrown visionaries -- all to help guide your own thinking. In our inaugural US issue, we focus on Innovation. Where can you break molds and shape the future? We hope this gives you inspiration, insight, and some new ideas of your own."

You game?

The smartest person in content

Marissa Mayer, Google's VP of consumer products, has been called the most powerful woman in the world. That's certainly debatable -- but one could make a convincing case given how her work touches tens of millions of lives each day.

She's also been called the smartest person in content, and evidence of that comes out during this hourlong interview at the opening of the Tow-Knight Center at City University of New York earlier this month.

CUNY's Jeff Jarvis, of Buzzmachine fame, interviewed Mayer and AOL CEO Tim Armstrong and touched on a variety of media issues, most of which centered around the belief both have that "local" is an enormous opportunity for audience and revenue.

It's clear from watching this video why Mayer is where she is. She oversees Google's local, mobile and mapping strategies, and has great ideas on how to give people what they want, when they want it and how they want it.

And while Armstrong has interesting ideas of his own, Mayer is clearly the one with vision that's ahead of the curve. Mayer used to work for Armstrong, before he left Google to join AOL. It's interesting that in buying Huffington Post, Armstrong has tied his future to a woman who knows how to make money off digital content. What comes around, goes around, I guess.